No Question About That - a Manchester United podcast

#1015 | Ed and Dharnish continue the World Cup preview, working through the groups with the United-related storylines front and centre.

There are players, past and present, in across the World Cup groups: Casemiro, Ederson and Matheus Cunha with Brazil, alongside Morocco's Noussair Mazraoui and Sofyan Amrabat; Scotland's Scott McTominay and late call-up Tyler Fletcher; Turkey's reserve keeper Altay Bayindir; Ivory Coast's Amad; a cluster of ex-United names in the Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia and Sweden groups such as Depay, Weghorst, Hannibal, Lindelöf, and Elanga; Belgium's Lukaku; Portugal's Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot and Cristiano Ronaldo; Argentina's Lisandro Martínez.

The show ends with a deeper dive into England with some interesting choices made by Tuchel already. Will it pay off? Then there are some predictions. Terrible ones, no doubt.

00:00 Intro

04:41 Group A

05:42 Group B

06:35 Group C

12:33 Group D

15:30 Ad Break 1

15:48 Group E

19:25 Group F

22:20 Group G

26:16 Group H

29:28 Group I

34:53 Group J

36:29 Group K

41:08 Ad Break 2

41:29 Group L

50:41 Close & Predictions

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#1014 | Ed and Tom look past the football at the expanded 2026 World Cup in the US. The focus is the off-pitch mess: visa and border problems, geopolitical tension, and reports of players and staff held for long stretches at US border control. Bans restricting fans from certain countries sit awkwardly against the tournament's "welcome the world" branding, and the gap between the message and the environment gets a hard look.

Ticketing comes in for the heaviest criticism. FIFA's high, dynamically priced model and its resale marketplaces amount to legalised touting, with fees stacked on top. The result might well be uneven pricing and stadiums that sit half empty.

Player welfare closes things out. Heat and humidity, water breaks that double as ad slots, and pitches rolled out over NFL turf all point to conditions built for revenue rather than the people on the field. Behind it sits FIFA's $13bn revenue target and Infantino's grip on the money through FIFA Forward.

00:00 Introduction

03:52 Geopolitics and Iran

05:02 Visa Bans and Fan Access

13:37 Ticket Prices and FIFA's Money

14:42 FIFA's Revenue 

22:59 Infantino and the FIFA Forward Programme

35:32 Player Welfare, Heat and Pitches

44:24 Stadium Experience and American Sports Culture

51:49 Wrap-Up

If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify.
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#1013 | Ed and Dominic discuss United’s deal to sign midfielder Ederson from Atalanta for around £35m plus add-ons. There’s been a muted reaction from fans but his standout physicality and counter-pressing should offer something the squad is missing, although concerns about his limited inventiveness in passing are fair. A useful squad option if United add two more midfielders, with Matheus Fernandes also progressing. There are rumors of United’s interest in Lewis Hall and Marcus Rashford has an uncertain future amid Barcelona’s spending. Finally, 12 United players will be going to World Cup and another 20 or so players and coaches have United connections.

00:00 Ederson Signs!

03:55 Analysing Ederson's Traits

08:10 Arsenal, PSG and the Rivalry

15:55 Matteus Fernandes

20:50 Lewis Hall 

24:30 Rashford, Barcelona and Finances

33:29 World Cup Preview: United Connections

34:58 Football Shirts, Kickoff Times and Wrap

If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify.
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#1012 | Ed and Dharnish conclude their tactical review of the season, focusing on Michael Carrick’s interim spell at United. Carrick’s appointment mean no return for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and quickly produced results, with a focus on pragmatic but front-foot football. Carrick immediately installed a 4-2-3-1 system, highlighted by compact defending, fast transitions, plus one- and two-touch combinations in tight spaces. The strong results won him the job permanently, but slow starts and limited pressing/counter-pressing point to opportunities for improvement next season. What will Carrickball bring with the addition of more physical midfielders?

00:00 Introduction

02:23 Carrick Appointment Context

03:24 City Game Tactical Setup

05:47 Compact Defence and Transitions

09:06 Rondos and Quick Combinations

11:03 Results Run and Carrick's Pragmatism

16:03 Next Step: Pressing and Midfield Evolution

22:03 Transfer Wishlist and Squad Gaps

23:41 Carrick's Track Record

26:02 Wrap Up

If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify.
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#1011 | Ed and Dharnish continue their tactical review of United’s season, covering the period from early November to Ruben Amorim’s January sacking. This period included a run of inconsistent, often drab matches saved only by United’s success from set-piece finishing. Then the turning point: 4-4 against Bournemouth, possibly United’s best attacking performance under Amorim, and a shift toward a back four. Only for Amorim, inexplicably, to return to a back three against the wishes of the club.

00:00 Part Two Overview

01:19 Set Pieces and the Autumn Run of Results

03:14 Why Was It Going Wrong?

05:14 Bournemouth 4-4: Amorim's Best Football

10:53 Back to a Back Three and the Wolves Debacle

14:20 Amorim's Sacking: Press Conference and Why He Failed

14:47 Could Amorim Have Found a Higher Ceiling?

24:17 Final Verdict and What Comes Next

If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify.
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